•Prince Adewole Adebayo
Ahead of 2027 Presidential and general elections, the Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo has vowed that he would fix Nigeria as the country’s President, saying that the nation is approaching a dangerous crossroads under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Following his emergence as the party’s Presidential candidate at the Bauchi Convention, Adebayo who has unveiled SDP’s 2027 500 rescue agenda, accused the Tinubu administration of deepening what he described as poverty, weakening democratic institutions, and pushing Nigeria toward what he described as creeping authoritarianism.
Adebayo who warned Nigerians not to take democratic freedoms for granted, said, “Because we are hungry, homeless, jobless, and without peace, those are serious problems. But there is an even bigger problem: the little freedom we still have is about to disappear.”
The SDP presidential candidate who urged citizens to defend political pluralism and democratic participation before it is too late, said, “Use your freedom while you still have it. Use your freedom to give yourself multi-party democracy,” reports Vanguard.
Adebayo who launched repeated attacks on President Tinubu, accusing him of political overreach and economic mismanagement, said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not satisfied being the presidential candidate of APC.
“He wants to be the presidential candidate of APC, PDP, Labour, SDP, NYSC — even your birthday party.”
He further alleged that the administration views Nigerians as economic commodities rather than citizens deserving protection and opportunity,adding, “As your president, he sees you as commodities to buy and sell. He is the number one businessman using government power to enrich himself and his cronies.”
Adebayo who blamed worsening inflation and economic hardship on the removal of fuel subsidy at the start of the Tinubu administration, argued that the policy triggered severe suffering nationwide.
“The money delegates used to travel to our 2022 convention now requires fifteen times more for transport,” he said.
He alleged that the promised gains from subsidy removal have failed to materialise.
“Trillions saved from subsidy have disappeared. The government has borrowed more money than Nigeria borrowed since independence, yet contractors remain unpaid and nobody can explain where the money went,” he claimed.
The SDP flag bearer also criticised the administration’s tax policies, describing them as excessive and disconnected from productivity and economic growth. “Every day, tax, tax, tax, tax,” he said.
Despite his criticism, Adebayo who insisted that his opposition to Tinubu was ideological rather than personal, said, “I am not an enemy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am an enemy of poverty — and poverty is Tinubu’s friend. I am an enemy of corruption — and corruption is his profession. I am an enemy of injustice — and injustice is his hobby.
“I am an enemy of autocracy. And no greater tyrant is around than Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Adebayo contrasted the current administration with past Nigerian leaders including Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and Michael Okpara, whom he described as leaders driven by clear developmental visions.
“Every government we knew had cardinal programmes,” he said.
“What is Tinubu’s cardinal point? Snatch, grab, and run away with it.”
Adebayo linked insecurity and economic collapse to governance failure, insisting that politics directly affects citizens’ safety and welfare.
“Politics determines whether you sleep peacefully in your home,” he said.
He argued that terrorism and banditry thrive where institutions are weak and leadership lacks accountability.
The SDP candidate also unveiled what he described as a bold governance blueprint focused on poverty reduction, industrial revival, healthcare reform, and job creation.
According to him, his administration would implement over 500 targeted programmes aimed at reducing poverty to two percent within 18 months and unemployment to four percent within two years.
Adebayo said the mandate given to him will be used to implement over 500 programs:
“Poverty: Reduce poverty to 2% in the first 18 months.
“Jobs: Cut unemployment to 4% in 2 years through jobs and works programs.
“Infrastructure: Use one-third of savings from ending corruption to put roads in every village, hamlet and street in 4 years.
“Education: Free, qualitative and compulsory education from elementary to tertiary “until you get a job. Until you get a job, you have not graduated.”
“Healthcare: NIN as health insurance number. Four free medical screenings annually for every Nigerian.
“Industry: Revive Ajaokuta Steel, Aladja Steel, Bacita Sugar, Oku Iboku Paper Mill, Kaduna and Gombe textiles, and Nigeria’s refineries.
“Every state will have textile, cement, carpentry, wood, everything so that our people will not only have factories, they will have housing estates, they will have staff school.”
Security and Territorial Integrity
On insecurity, he vowed: “There is no square inch of Nigeria where a terrorist can sound. There is no part of Nigeria where a bandit can stop anybody from going anywhere.
“The bandits will go when Tinubu goes. The terrorists will follow Tinubu, their business partner, and go. Boko Haram, who has his headquarter in the villa, when the man in the villa goes, Boko Haram goes with him.”
He promised to rebuild a “strong army” like the one that led peacekeeping in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo and Sudan.
Call for Opposition Unity
Adebayo urged all Nigerians who oppose corruption, insecurity and injustice to rally with SDP, regardless of party, religion or ethnicity.
“I appeal to the opposition elements in Nigeria… Forget about your differences about religion, ethnicity, gender, age, political party, come together. Rally with the SDP.”
He said SDP will contest all 109 Senate seats, 360 House seats, governorships and State Houses of Assembly to produce leaders who are “not house boys grovelling for attention” but governors who govern like Okparaku, Jakande, Ambrose Alli and Abubakar Rimi.
Anchoring his message on Chapter 2 of the Constitution, he said: “The resources of Nigeria will be used for the welfare and security of Nigerians. That is why we can never be a member, a supporter, a partner of the APC because they don’t believe in using the resources of Nigeria for the welfare or security of Nigeria.”
It’s About Destiny
Closing, Adebayo said: “Today is not about me. If it was about me, I would be in America practicing my law… But it’s about the history. It’s about the destiny. It cannot be said that black people have freedom, but they don’t know what to do with it.”
